3 February 2011 Last updated at 08:33 GMT
Yemen protests: 20,000 call for President Saleh to go breaking news More than 20,000 anti-government protesters have gathered in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, for a "day of rage" against President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The demonstrators called for a change in government and said Mr Saleh's offer to step down in 2013, after more than 30 years in power, was not enough. The gathering is the largest in two weeks of protests inspired by the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Meanwhile, President Saleh's supporters are due to hold rallies of their own. In an emergency parliament session on Wednesday, Mr Saleh laid out his plans to move aside, saying he would not seek to extend his presidency when his current term expires in 2013 and pledging not pass on power to his son. "No extension, no inheritance, no resetting the clock," he said. He urged the protesters to call off their planned rallies and sit-ins on the so-called "day of rage" organised by civil society groups and opposition leaders. Yemenis complain of mounting poverty among a growing, young population and frustration with a lack of political freedoms. Unemployment in Yemen runs at 40%, and there are rising food prices and acute levels of malnutrition. Some 40% of the population live on less than $2 (£1.25) a day. The country has also been plagued by a range of security issues, including a separatist movement in the south and an uprising of Shia Houthi rebels in the north. There are fears that Yemen is becoming a leading al-Qaeda haven, with the high numbers of unemployed youths seen as potential recruits for Islamist militant groups. ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
